Chapter 16: Plague Warriors

Chapter 16: The Plague Warriors

They would cleanse every planet of Ultramar, then radiate outward into the other star regions of the Empire, saving humanity as it steadily slipped toward the abyss, halting the fate of the human Empire’s demise.

Countless war engines were activated amid the prayers of the Machine Priests, trailing massive tails of flame as they departed the starport and soared into the cosmos.

One warship after another activated their Gauss fields, their colossal hulls bathed in a faint halo of light.

The Gauss field was one of humanity’s crucial technologies enabling travel through hyperspace.

This force field effectively shielded the Empire’s vessels from hyperspace corrosion and prevented the lifeless entities lurking beneath the hyperspace waves from launching attacks on the ships.

The awakening of Kiriman and his fanatical war declaration had long attracted the attention of the gods.

For a primal being to dare declare war upon them was an unforgivable crime.

Their response was equally swift and brutal.

Hyperspace boiled with the wrath of the gods, the turbulent sea of aether churning into tempestuous storms.

The aether waves roared and raged, relentless storms of destruction battering them.

Arrogance transformed into swirling vortices. Fury and desire intertwined into a raging storm; despair turned into steep straits where countless ravenous demons lurked upon sheer cliffs.

They waited for any sign of weakness from the Empire’s ships to strike.

Bound Navigators were immersed in nutrient fluid, their arms and heads connected by cables to the ship’s mechanical systems.

They strained with all their might to peer through their third eyes at the flow of aether currents, directing the ship’s course.

Navigators were unique beings with a history spanning tens of thousands of years.

When humanity first ventured into the stars and began colonizing the galaxy, Navigators appeared in their world.

During that golden age, some humans who first encountered hyperspace experienced subtle genetic mutations.

They became extraordinarily sensitive to the energy flows of hyperspace, able to provide effective guidance and navigation for ships traveling through it.

These individuals, after modification and optimization, became Navigators.

Navigators possessed a third eye—either implanted via cybernetic technology or born from mutation.

This third eye enabled them to observe aether energy flows in hyperspace, discern direction, and most importantly, to see the light of the Star Torch.

The Star Torch was a crucial hyperspace navigation beacon of the Empire, constructed by the Emperor during the Great Expedition, currently maintained by the Star Torch Court.

The fleet’s journey was perilous; even with mental preparation, Kiriman felt a tremor of hesitation confronting the hyperspace storm.

The light of the Star Torch had nearly vanished, growing faint; the Navigators had to exert greater effort to determine the route.

Empire vessels could no longer remain in hyperspace as they once did; they had to periodically exit it.

Thanks to the Machine Priests’ maintenance, the Gauss fields on every ship in the fleet operated normally.

Without the Gauss field, humanity would be nothing more than sacrificial meat to the demons of hyperspace.

“It seems we must find a way to calm the hyperspace storm,” Kiriman murmured, furrowing his brow as he studied the data pad. The storm was far worse than he had imagined.

Either they could quell the storm, or they needed to enhance the Empire’s ships to withstand it.

Without achieving one of these, any counterattack against the gods would be a mockery.

Demons and traitors paid no heed to the storm’s ravages, while the human Empire struggled every step of the way. The difficulty of victory was plain to see.

Kiriman pondered where to find the resources and technology to solve this navigation dilemma and ensure the fleet reached its destination without error.

Footsteps echoed as a robed young man with eyes entirely white entered the room reserved for the primal beings.

“My lord.”

Though blind, the young man easily located Kiriman and bowed respectfully.

“Rushan, what is it?” Kiriman interrupted his thoughts and looked up at the newcomer.

He paid no mind to the pure white eyes; such blindness was common.

The Star Speakers’ eyes were generally like this—in simple terms, they were blind, but possessed a spiritual eye that compensated for their lack of physical sight.

The Empire’s faster-than-light travel depended on hyperspace.

Interstellar faster-than-light communication similarly relied on hyperspace.

Distances between star systems were vast—dozens or hundreds of light-years.

Conventional communication was hopelessly slow, unable to meet the Empire’s demands.

Hyperspace communication was essential.

Star Speakers played a vital role in transmitting messages through hyperspace.

Every stellar region, subregion, and sector had a Star Speech Fortress to collect and relay information.

Star Speakers converted their messages into thought-dreams, then used psychic power to send these into hyperspace, crossing the galaxy to reach other Star Speakers.

Their communication was not in words but in shared thought-dreams.

The receiver described every detail of the dream and then decoded it to obtain the message.

To strengthen these transmissions and ensure they weren’t corrupted by certain entities in hyperspace, Star Speech Fortresses often formed Star Speech Choirs to amplify their sending power, guaranteeing the Empire received their messages.

All Star Speech Fortresses and active Star Speakers within the fleets were controlled by Terra’s Star Speech Court, which periodically supplied new Star Speakers to each fortress.

All Star Speakers underwent a special ritual to shape their abilities—the Soul Binding Ceremony.

At intervals, the Star Speech Court sent selected psychics to the Imperial Palace.

There, purified by the Emperor’s power, they could maintain their sanity amid the demons’ gazes and whispers in hyperspace, resisting corruption and consumption.

Yet the Soul Binding Ceremony carried risks; due to the Emperor’s powerful will and psychic energy, ordinary psychics could not directly behold his presence in hyperspace. This often damaged their sensory organs, causing blindness.

More tragic cases lost their sense of smell and hearing as well.

Rushan was fortunate; he lost only his sight.

“New message, my lord—an aid request from the Sara system. The forces of Chaos still run rampant there. The local garrison claims they have been attacked by Plague Warriors.”

“Plague Warriors?” Kiriman frowned briefly but quickly relaxed and gave orders.

“Have the fleet continue toward the industrial system Conor. I will lead a small force to handle this matter personally.”

“My lord, is that wise? You should not risk yourself. Perhaps you could assign several captains to deal with it.”

Rushan urged Kiriman not to go himself but to delegate the mission.

“There is no place that is absolutely safe. Danger is what a primal being must face. I need some victories to steady the hearts of the Empire’s people. Even the smallest triumphs will be seen by those desperate for hope as signs the Empire is pushing back, that Chaos is losing. Do you understand, Rushan? They are scared and need victories to comfort and bolster their confidence.”

Kiriman looked at Rushan with a smile.

“But I still don’t think it’s a good idea. You are too important. If something happens to you, who will guide the Empire?”

“I am not a trophy. I am a primal being, a powerful primal being created to secure victories in war, not to be placed on a shelf as a mascot. Our discussion ends here. I expect you to return to your post and continue gathering information from hyperspace. I look forward to your next report.”

“Rushan obeys your command, my lord.”

“Good. Go now, and bring Sicarius in at the door—I have words for him.”

Rushan bowed again and left, understanding that once a primal being made a decision, it was unshakable. He could offer advice, but only advice.

The authority of a primal being was inviolable. Hearing Kiriman’s words, Rushan quietly departed, allowing Sicarius to enter the room in search of the primal being.

Signed up—two updates a day. After release, expect rapid chapters. Brothers, please support.

(End of chapter)